The Electrical Safety Cycle, built from codes and standards, is the first line of defense against potential electrical hazards.
The Electrical Safety Cycle
- Identifying the Problem
- Government agencies and testing laboratories provide statistics, data, and research to identify emerging safety issues
- Identifying the Solution
- New technology is created to mitigate hazards not addressed in previous editions of the NEC
- This technology is then tested by a third-party testing laboratory to ensure safe everyday use and compliance to safety standards
- Implementing the Code
- New technology is presented to the public and technical committees for consideration in the NEC
- New code requirements are revised by NFPA’s committee on the NEC
- Public, expert, and consumer feedback is taken and reviewed
- Code is now complete and is presented to states for adoption
- The majority of NEC changes are installation safety standards
- Enforcing the Code
- The NEC is updated every 3 years
- Electrical contractors use the NEC to ensure products are safely installed
- Code enforcement inspections verify that installation meets code requirements